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Town asked to back conservation purchase of riverfront parcel; board delegates chair to sign P&S
Summary
Conservation Commission members asked the Select Board for support and a letter for a grant to buy a small river-front parcel at 7 River Road, contingent on grant funding and a deed restriction to preserve the land in perpetuity; the board delegated the chair to sign the purchase-and-sale agreement with the property owner.
Conservation Commission members asked the New Boston Select Board on Monday to support a plan to acquire a small river-front parcel at 7 River Road, contingent on securing grant funding and placing a deed restriction to prevent future development.
The conservation presenters said the town will only complete the purchase if matching grant money is obtained, and that the owner previously repaired a sewage leak discovered during the review. A presenter summarized the grant-dependent timeline: "this is contingent on us getting a grant," and asked the board for a letter of support for the commission's application and authorization to finalize the purchase if the grant is awarded.
The commission said the parcel is small but has valuable river frontage and that the intention is for the town to hold the land as open space permanently. "When we do a deed, we're going to put a deed restriction ... so that 30, 40 years from now some board isn't gonna say, yeah, let's sell that," one presenter said, and a second speaker noted the granting agency requires protection "in perpetuity."
Select Board member Kevin Coleman moved to delegate authority to the board chair to sign the purchase-and-sale agreement with owner Jeff Katz; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Board members asked that a copy of the signed agreement be filed with the town office and that the deed language be provided for review before closing.
What happens next: commission staff will continue preparing the preliminary grant application, seek matching funds, and, if the grant is awarded, return the signed P&S executed by the chair and present the deed restriction language for board review. The presenters requested and expect to receive a board letter of support for the grant application.
The board accepted the request and approved delegation for the chair to sign the P&S; no public comment was recorded on the parcel acquisition during this meeting.
